1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cotton harvesters, and, more specifically, to feeder shaft and vine shield structure for a cotton stripper finger-head attachment.
2) Related Art
With advances in weed control, an increased number of cotton growers are switching to ultra-narrow row cotton (UNRC) and broadcast cotton. Presently, UNRC and broadcast cotton are harvested using a finger-head attachment on a self-propelled cotton stripper. A typical finger-head attachment is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,921 assigned to Allis-Chalmers. Cotton plants are directed between narrowly spaced fingers on the header which remove the cotton from the plant. One or more rotating feeder shafts with radial projections extend transversely above the fingers to move the stripped cotton rearwardly into a cross auger. A large dead space between the feeder shafts reduces conveying efficiency. Curved fingers more closely follow the profile of the feeder shaft and eliminate some of the dead space, but the curved portions are prone to cotton sticking which results in clogging of the head. In some fields, the height of the cotton plants varies considerably. If the feeder shaft is adjusted for tall cotton, short cotton may not be efficiently harvested. If the feeder shaft is adjusted for short cotton and taller cotton plants are encountered, the stalks of the taller plants can wrap around the shaft.
Heretofore, finger-head types of strippers with feeder shafts have had problems operating efficiently in fields with vines. The vines wrap on the feeder shaft and can completely entwine the entire shaft so that cotton will no longer feed to the auger. The operator has to remove the vines by hand, which is time-consuming and difficult. Installing vine-cutting knives between the fingers has helped reduce but not eliminate vine wrapping. Providing good feeding characteristics and eliminating vine wrap has heretofore been a source of problems.